APTI PLUS Academy For Civil Services

Presents

Current Affairs for Civil Services Exam

from 08th August to 14th August 2016.
 Business and Economics

Ponzi schemes is not under SEBI purview

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) denied any regulatory
purview over ponzi schemes, squarely placing the responsibility of protecting
investors on State governments.

Ponzi schemes are banned under the Prize Chit and Money Circulation
(Banning) Act, 1978 and the State government concerned is the enforcement
agency. Though it is a Central Act, the respective State governments are the
enforcement agency of this law.

What is Ponzi scheme?

A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation where the operator, an

individual or organization, pays returns to its investors from new capital paid to
the operators by new investors, rather than from profit earned through legitimate
sources.

The scheme is named after Charles Ponzi, who became notorious for using the
technique in 1920. The idea, present in novels was actually performed in real
life by Ponzi who with his operation took in so much money that it was the first
to become known throughout the United States.

Ponzi's original scheme was based on the arbitrage of international reply

coupons for postage stamps; however, he soon diverted investors' money to
make payments to earlier investors and himself.

Ponzi schemes sometimes commence operations as legitimate investment

vehicles, such as hedge funds. For example, a hedge fund can degenerate into a
Ponzi scheme if it unexpectedly loses money (or simply fails to legitimately
earn the returns promised and/or thought to be expected) and if the promoters,
instead of admitting their failure to meet expectations, fabricate false returns
and (if necessary) produce fraudulent audit reports.
River-linking to cost Rs. 5-lakh crore
The government expects to spend a massive Rs 5,60,000 crore on various river
interlinking (ILR) projects.

Though this is only a projection and not timebound as none of these projects
are underway and costs could be dramatically revised its roughly four per
cent of Indias economy, now valued at Rs 1,35,00,000 crore, and significantly
more than what India spends on either scientific research, the social sector or
defence.

Could be revised
The National Water Development Agency the central agency that plans and
prepares cost estimates for such projects has so far identified 16 peninsular
rivers and 14 Himalayan rivers that could potentially be linked to transfer water.

ILR projects at the most advanced state of planning are those involving building
canals and storage connecting the Ken and Betwa rivers in Uttar Pradesh and
Madhya Pradesh; the Damanganga and Pinjal rivers involving water from
Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Ken-Betwa link
The controversial Ken-Betwa link that will partially submerge the Panna Tiger
sanctuary, is yet to be cleared by the National Wild Life Board and discussions
are on between the Water Resources Ministry and the Ministry of Environment
and Forests to mitigate the potential loss of forests.

The Government is planning to begin implementing this as a model ILR project,

which will benefit the drought prone areas of Bundelkhand region. . The
peninsular component of the project could likely cost Rs 1,85,000 crore and the
Himalayan Rs 3,75,000 crore.
RBI launches portal to curb illegal money pooling by firms

The RBI, in line with its efforts to curb illegal and unauthorised pooling of
funds by unscrupulous firms, has launched a website Sachet.

The step aims at helping people get information about legalised entities, who
are allowed to collect public deposits/ provide investment management services,
entities barred from doing so, besides receiving on-the-ground information on
illegal entities.
The portal will facilitate filing, tracking of complaints, besides providing
information about whether any particular entity is registered with any regulator
or is permitted to accept deposits.

The website would also help enhance coordination among regulators and state
government agencies and thus be useful in curbing instances of unauthorised
acceptance of deposits by unscrupulous entities.

Govt to set up committee to review FDI, e-commerce rules

The government has decided to set up a committee to look into all issues
including foreign direct investment norms pertaining to the fast growing e-
commerce industry in the country.
The committee will be headed by the NITI Aayog CEO, Amitabh Kant. The
other members in the panel includes officials from commerce and industry
ministry and department of electronics and IT among others. Representatives
from four states including Maharashtra and Karnataka are also members of the
panel.
Some e-commerce firms are facing taxation related problems in few states.
Setting up of this panel also assumes significance as the government has
recently permitted 100 per cent FDI in food processing sector.

MPs petition PM for hike in MPLAD Fund

A delegation of MPs petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an increase
in the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) Fund. The
delegation has asked that the fund, currently Rs. 5 crore for a five-year term
(Rs. 1 crore for each year), be increased to Rs. 25 crore.

About the scheme:

MPLAD Scheme was launched on December 23, 1993, to provide a mechanism

for the Members of Parliament to recommend works of developmental nature
for creation of durable community assets and for provision of basic facilities
including community infrastructure, based on locally felt needs.

Some of the salient features:

MPLADS is a centrally-sponsored plan scheme fully funded by the
government of India under which funds are released in the form of grants
in-aid directly to the district authorities.
Works, developmental in nature, based on locally felt needs and always
available for the use of the public at large, are eligible under the scheme.
Preference under the scheme is given to works relating to national
priorities, such as provision of drinking water, public health, education,
sanitation, roads, etc.
The funds released under the scheme are non-lapsable i.e. the liability of
funds not released in a particular year is carried forward to the subsequent
years, subject to eligibility.
The MPs have a recommendatory role under the scheme. They
recommend their choice of works to the concerned district authorities
who implement these works by following the established procedures of
the concerned state government.
 The district authority is empowered to examine the eligibility of works
sanction funds and select the implementing agencies, prioritise works,
supervise overall execution, and monitor the scheme at the ground level.
The district authorities get the works executed through the line
departments, local self governments or other government agencies. In
some cases, the district authorities get the works executed through
reputed non government organisations.
The Lok Sabha Members can recommend works in their respective
constituencies. The elected members of the Rajya Sabha can recommend
works anywhere in the state from which they are elected. Nominated
members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha may select works for
implementation anywhere in the country.

Cabinet nod for changes to FDI regulations in NBFCs

The Cabinet approved a proposal to amend rules for foreign investment in non-
banking finance companies (NBFCs). The amendment in the existing Foreign
Exchange Management regulations on NBFCs will enable inflow of foreign
investment in other financial services on automatic route provided such
services are regulated by any financial sector regulators (RBI, SEBI, PFRDA
etc.)/government agencies.

Foreign investment in other financial services that are not regulated by any
regulators or by a government agency can be made via the approval route,
according to the statement.

Minimum capitalisation norms as mandated under FDI policy have been

eliminated as most of the regulators have already fixed minimum capitalisation
norms.
The present regulations on NBFCs stipulates that FDI would be allowed on
automatic route for only 18 specified NBFC activities after fulfilling prescribed
minimum capitalisation norms mentioned therein, it said.

R & D project
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved a one-time grant of
Rs.900 crores spread over three years for an R&D project for the development
of Advanced Ultra Super Critical (AUSC) technology for thermal power plants.
The estimated cost of the project is Rs.1,554 crore, according to the
government.

The project was proposed by a consortium of three government entities

BHEL, Indira Gandhi Centre of Atomic Research (IGCAR) and National
Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).

Factories Act
The Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval for the amendment of Section 64
and section 65 and the consequential amendment in Section 115 of the Factories
Act, 1948 by the introduction of the Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in
Parliament.

These amendments relate to increase in overtime hours from the existing 50

hours per quarter to 100 hours (Section 64) and existing 75 hours per quarter to
125 hours (Section 65).

India, Croatia
The other decisions taken by the Cabinet include approval for the signing and
ratification of an agreement between India and Croatia on economic
cooperation.
India and Croatia had earlier signed an agreement on trade and economic
cooperation in September 1994 with an aim to promote and develop bilateral
trade and economic relations. Signing of the new agreement between India and
Croatia would be a step in continuity as the existing agreement expired in
November 2009.

The average bilateral trade growth was 17.44 per cent during the last three years
and stood at $205.04 million in 2014-15.

The Cabinet also approved the introduction of pension and post-retirement

medical services benefit to the employees of the Food Corporation of India.

NBFCs:
Non-bank financial companies (NBFCs) are financial institutions that provide
banking services without meeting the legal definition of a bank, i.e. one that
does not hold a banking license. These institutions typically are restricted from
taking deposits from the public depending on the jurisdiction. Nonetheless,
operations of these institutions are often still covered under a countrys banking
regulations.
The Reserve Bank of India is entrusted with the responsibility of regulating and
supervising the Non-Banking Financial Companies by virtue of powers vested
under Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.

Ministry wants SEZs tax sops to continue

The Commerce Ministry has raised with the Finance Ministry the Special
Economic Zone (SEZ) sectors concerns about the lack of clarity in the
proposed Goods & Services Tax (GST) regime on the continuation of tax &
duty exemptions.
According to the Commerce Ministry, many tax and duty incentives have been
offered to SEZ units and developers in the current SEZ policy to help them
attract investments, and in turn, generate employment and boost exports.

As per the current norms, SEZs are tax and duty-free enclaves and are deemed
to be foreign territory for purposes of taxes, duties and trade. Parliament
recently passed the amended GST Bill.

The proposed GST regime will subsume central & state level taxes, and the new
model will include a Central GST, IGST for inter-state supplies and SGST for
intra-State supplies.

Concerns:
Currently, many tax and duty incentives have been offered to SEZ units and
developers in the SEZ policy to help them attract investments, and in turn,
generate employment and boost exports. However, the proposed GST regime
does not provide clarity on these SEZ-related incentives.
Way ahead:
Commerce Ministry has asked the Finance Ministry to continue incentives that
are currently provided to the SEZs.
As per the current norms, SEZs are tax and duty-free enclaves and are deemed
to be foreign territory for purposes of taxes, duties and trade. Other exemptions
provided include:
Duty-free import and duty-free domestic procurement of goods for development,
operation and maintenance of SEZ units.
No Central Sales Tax (CST), service tax and State sales tax.
Exemption from customs/excise duties for development of SEZs for authorised
operations approved by the SEZ Board of Approval.
No excise duty on raw material procurement by SEZs from Domestic Tariff Area
(or DTA, which is the area outside the SEZs but within India) as such procurement
is treated as exports from DTA to SEZ.
What is a Special Economic Zone (SEZ)?
SEZ is a geographical region that has economic laws different from a countrys
typical economic laws. Usually the goal is to increase foreign investments.
Who can set up SEZs? Can foreign companies set up SEZs?
Any private/public/joint sector or state government or its agencies can set up an
SEZ.
What is the role of state governments in establishing SEZs?
State governments will have a very important role to play in the establishment
of SEZs. Representative of the state government, who is a member of the inter-
ministerial committee on private SEZ, is consulted while considering the
proposal. Before recommending any proposals to the ministry of commerce and
industry (department of commerce), the states must satisfy themselves that they
are in a position to supply basic inputs like water, electricity, etc.
The main objectives of the SEZ Act are:
Generation of additional economic activity.
Promotion of exports of goods and services.
Promotion of investment from domestic and foreign sources.
Creation of employment opportunities.
Development of infrastructure facilities.
BRICS will discuss sustainable and inclusive solutions'

The 8th BRICS summit scheduled to be held in Goa in October this year will be
discussing "sustainable and inclusive solutions to the global problems. With the
New Development Bank (NDB), BRICS will have funds to finance
infrastructure projects at the BRICS countries or in other emerging third world
countries. The BRICS gave powerful impetus to the identification and
development of specific bilateral and joint projects in strategic sectors such as
agriculture, renewable energy, science and technology.
 India and World

India,US to sign key defence logistics deal

US and India are likely to sign the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of
Agreement (LEMOA). Once signed, India and the US will be able to share their
military facilities whenever required.

This will lead to enhanced military-to-military cooperation especially in joint

exercises, training and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

LEMOA is one of three foundational agreements that US signs with countries

that it recognises as priority defence partner.

The US had been pushing India to sign this pact along with the
Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement
(CISMOA) and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-spatial
Cooperation (BECA) for deeper defence and strategic ties.

The US is now Indias largest defence partner with sales reaching over $13
billion.

The US and India inked a defence deal in July worth $1.1 billion under which
India will be procuring four additional Poseidon-8I long-range surveillance and
anti-submarine warfare aircraft over and above the eight that Indian Navy
already possesses.

LEMOA in Detail
LEMOA or Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement is another name
for Logistics Support Agreement (LSA), an agreement the US has with many of
its allies. But this has been especially tailored for India, following negotiations
for over a decade.
LEMOA allows each military to avail logistics support facilities fuel, spare
parts, mechanics, etc. of the other while on joint training, Humanitarian
Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), and port calls. The agreement lays out
the procedure for billing for these facilities as part of a larger accounting
transaction, and details are contained in the clarifying protocols annexed to
LEMOA.
Under LEMOA, while Indian logistics support will be available to the US
military, Indian armed forces will benefit from access to a large number of US
military bases globally, particularly while undertaking HADR missions in a
diaspora crisis. It will allow India to respond promptly to emerging situations or
humanitarian crises, and will expand Indian militarys operational environment
globally.
Major Defence partner
The US has recognised India as a Major Defence Partner (MDP). This follows a
long-standing Indian demand to provide predictability and transparency in the
US system that approves transfer of military equipment and technology. MDP is
not an established category, and this nomenclature has been especially created
for India, because a legislative amendment to bring a change in Indias status
would have been a long-drawn and difficult process.
White Shipping Agreement
The countries signed the White Shipping Agreement (WSA) which enhances
their maritime domain awareness and fits in with the Maritime Security
Dialogue, the only 2+2 dialogue that India has with any country.
The WSA establishes an information network protocol that allows the two
navies to exchange information about ships in their waters. Ships are usually
classified into white (commercial ships), grey (military vessels), and black
(illegal vessels). After signing the WSA, the two sides will be able to exchange
information about white ships, which may not be known to the other side. The
Navys Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) at Gurgaon will
be the nodal centre for WSA.

Saudi King orders resolution of foreign workers issues

Saudi Arabias King Salman has ordered authorities to address once and for
all the grievances of distressed foreign workers, especially Indians and the
Filipinos, stranded in the Kingdom after not being paid for months.

The King, in a series of directives ordered to take necessary measures to oblige

companies who have contracts with the government to pay the salaries of their
employees in accordance with the governments Wage Protection Programme.

The Kings directives comes amid increasing complaints by workers that they
have not been paid their salaries for months.

India and the Philippines as well as their communities in the kingdom have
rallied behind their compatriots at Saudi Oger by providing them food.

Currently, a total of 7,700 affected Indian workers are living in 20 camps in the
country and the embassy is in the process of collecting information about others
residing in different parts of Saudi Arabia.

What is the issue?

The Saudi government was forced to cut its spending last year on the back of
plummeting oil prices. As a result, it created pressure on the financials of local
construction companies. Such firms employ foreign workers and rely on state
contracts. The resultant strain on the firms led to nearly 10,000 workers being
laid off, and left them with no money to even eat food. More than 2,500 Indians
are said to be living in labour camps with no food for the past 10 days.
What are the governments plans?
The government has announced that it will be evacuating all the workers that
are stuck there and bring them back home. Minister of State, VK Singh, will
also be travelling to the nation to help in the evacuation process. The citizens
are likely to be evacuated by airlifting them. The Centre will also be urging
authorities in Saudi Arabia to help with exit visas and release the arrears
of Indian workers as well.
Scope for collaboration between India, Japan in science and
technology'
The seventh India-Japan International Conference on Science and Technology:
Future Challenges and Solutions, was inaugurated at the University of Mysore.

Organised under the auspices of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
(JSPS) through Indian JSPS Alumni Association as part of the centenary
celebrations of the university, the two-day conference is being attended by
experts from Indian and Japan in various fields of science and technology.

Scientists and research scholars from various Universities in Japan and India are
attending the two-day conference, which will feature 12 technical sessions, two
key note address, 13 plenary lectures, six invited talks, 32 oral presentations and
400 poster presentations.
 Miscellaneous

Persons in News
New CEOs appointed for United Bank, Bank of Maharashtra

United Bank of India has appointed Pawan Kumar Bajaj as Managing Director
and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He is currently executive director at Indian
Overseas Bank, has been appointed to the post up to September 20, 2018. The
Centre has also appointed Ravindra Prabhakar Marathe as Managing Director
and CEO of Bank of Maharashtra.

Marathe, who is currently Executive Director at Bank of India, will assume

charge on or after October 1, 2016 and remain in the post till November 30,
2019, the date of his retirement.

Vijay Rupani sworn in CM of Gujarat

Vijay Rupani has sworn in as the 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat after
Anandiben Patel who resigned recently. Gujarat's first woman Chief Minister,
Aandiben Patel resigned following political pressure over escalating Patidar
reservation agitation ahead of the Assembly polls scheduled later next year.

K M Hanumantharayappa appointed as Silk Board chairman

The Central Silk Board appointed K M Hanumantharayappa, sericulturist and a
weaver as its new Chairman for a period of three years. As the 25th Chairman
of the board, he succeeds N S Bissegowda.
He is a senior political leader from BJP and hails from Doddaballapura, a
traditional silk weaving cluster in Karnataka.
Having served as the Member to the Central Silk Board during 2000-2002, he is
also the President of Karnataka State Nekarara Horata Samithi (weavers
association), and has also served as Chairman of Karnataka Silk Marketing
Board (KSMB) of Karnataka government during 2010-2013.
He had been awarded with the Best Agriculturist Award by the Government of
Karnataka.

Awards and Honours

M.S. Subbulakshmi to be honoured at UN on Independence Day
Legendary carnatic vocalist M. S. Subbulakshmi will be honoured at the United
Nations on Indias 70th Independence Day by a performance by Oscar-winning
composer A.R. Rahman at the world bodys iconic General Assembly.

Commemorations to mark Subbulakshmis birth centenary also include a photo

exhibition at the UN headquarters by Indias Permanent Mission besides the
cultural extravaganza here to coincide with the countrys Independence Day.

Through his performance, Rahman will pay homage to Subbulakshmi, the first
musician ever to be awarded Indias highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna.

Subbulakshmi was invited by the then UN Secretary General late U. Thant and
the then Chef de Cabinet late C.V. Narasimhan to perform at the world bodys
headquarters in 1966.

Kolkata scientist gets global green award

The steering committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature
and Natural Resources (IUCN) informed Dr. Dhrubajyoti Ghosh, the first Indian
environmental activist to receive the Luc Hoffman award.
At a time when East Kolkata Wetlands, a swathe of water bodies spanning over
100 sq. km., is fast shrinking due to illegal filling of fishponds, the scientist who
mapped the area and calculated its economic value has received one of the
highest international awards in environmental leadership.

Green Globe Awards

The NSW Governments Green Globe Awards are the leading environmental
recognition program, celebrating excellence, leadership and innovation in
sustainability.
The Green Globe Awards celebrate the work of organisations and individuals
who are leading the way in making NSW a place where people and nature
thrive.

Places in News

Indian govt to setup Maritime Heritage

Complex at Lothal

Indian government announced to setup

Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal for
which a committee has also been constituted.

A Maritime Heritage Complex Committee

with Secretary (Shipping) as Chairman has
been constituted with members from related
Ministries and Experts in Maritime Heritage
for planning of a Maritime Heritage Complex
at Lothal.
Located in Bhal region of Ahmedabad district of Gujarat, Lothal is one of the
most prominent cities of the ancient Indus valley civilisation. Lothal was
discovered by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the period from 1955 to
1960. An Archaeological Museum has been setup at the site where some of the
most prominent collections of Indus-era antiquities in India are displayed.

Lothals dock is known to be the worlds earliest known dock and it is

connected the city to an ancient course of the Sabarmati river on the trade route
between Harappan cities in Sindh and Saurashtra peninsula when the
surrounding Kutch desert of today was a part of the Arabian Sea.
 National News

RS passes Bill decriminalising suicide

A Bill which seeks to decriminalise suicide and provide better healthcare for
people with mental illness was passed by the Rajya Sabha.

The Mental Health Care Bill, 2013, says that any person who attempts suicide
shall be presumed, unless proved otherwise, to have mental illness and shall not
be liable to punishment under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code. Now, a
person who attempts suicide is charged under the section.

Progressive legislation
This is a historic and progressive Bill. It has been a long standing effort. It is
patient-centric and focuses on how more facilities and support could be
provided to the patients. Almost 6-7 per cent of the countrys population had
some kind of mental illnesses, while 1-2 per cent had acute mental disease.

Special provisions

The Bill focuses on community-based treatment. Special provisions for

women's health have also been provided for in the Bill.

Members across the political spectrum, however, sought urgent steps to address
the lack of infrastructure and a shortage of psychiatrists in the country.

The Bill also provides for the protection and promotion of the rights of persons
with mental illness during the delivery of healthcare in institutions and in the
community.
The Bill was passed unanimously through voice vote. There were 134 official
amendments to the Bill.

MAA programme to promote breastfeeding

Government has launched National Breastfeeding Promotion

Programme MAA (Mothers Absolute Affection) to ensure adequate
awareness is generated among masses, especially mothers, on the benefits of
breastfeeding.

Details of the Programme

The government will train nurses in government hospitals, Accredited Social

Health Activists (ASHA), Auxiliary Nurse Mid-wives (ANM) to provide
relevant information and counselling support to mothers for breastfeeding.

Monitoring and impact assessment is also an integral part of MAA programme.

Progress will be measured against key indicators, such as availability of skilled
persons at ground for counselling, improvement in breastfeeding practices and
number of accredited health facilities.

Dedicated funds Rs 4.3 lakhs per district, have been allocated to states for the
programme, which is in addition to the funds approved under National Health
Missions annual project implementation plans.

The programme will be monitored by UNICEF and other partners.

Unicef has roped in actor Madhuri Dixit as brand ambassador to promote

breastfeeding.

Importance of breast feeding

Breastfeeding is the most natural, cost effective and significant
intervention and should be promoted at all levels.
 13%: children die below 5 yrs of age, owing to poor breastfeeding
practices
823 000: child deaths can be averted every year.
1,56,000: child deaths could be reduced in India with breastfeeding
3.4 million: respiratory infection episodes can be reduced
3.9 million: Diarrhoea episodes can be reduced
15 times: children are more likely to die of pneumonia who are not
breastfed
11 times: children are more likely to die of diarrhoea
20,000: mothers deaths due to breast cancer can be averted globally f
mothers breastfeed for more than a year
3 to 4 points: Increase in IQ, depending on the duration of breastfeeding
Yet in India
78.7%: deliveries take place in hospitals
44.6%: children receive breastfeeding within one hour of birth
64.9%: exclusively breastfed for the first six months
50.5%: children between 6-8 months given complementary foods
Optimal Breast feeding Practices
Breastfeeding within an hour of birth
Breast-milk alone is the best food and drink for an infant for the first six
months of life
But allow infant to receive ORS, drops, syrups of vitamins, minerals and
medicines when required
After 6 months, introduce semi-solid, soft food along with breast feeding
up to two years
From 6 up to 12 months, breast milk provides half of the childs
nutritional needs
 From the age of 68 months a child needs to eat two to three times per
day and three to four times per day starting at 9 months in addition to
breastfeeding
The baby should be fed small amounts of food that steadily increase in
variety and quantity as he or she grows
During an illness, children need additional fluids and encouragement to
eat regular meals, and breastfeeding infants need to breastfeed more often
About MAA
MAA-Mothers Absolute Affection' is a nationwide programme launched in
an attempt to bring undiluted focus on promotion of breastfeeding and provision
of counselling services for supporting breastfeeding through health systems.
The programme has been named MAA to signify the support a lactating
mother requires from family members and at health facilities to breastfeed
successfully.

Madras HC disposes of pleas challenging classical status to

Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam
Madras High Court disposed of a batch of public interest litigation petitions
which challenged the classical language status accorded to Kannada, Telugu,
Malayalam and Odia.

Only experts can verify whether the languages satisfy the norms set for
according the classical status, and after been satisfied, they have recommended
for declaration of the languages in consideration to be classical.

The court could not be converted into a forum for debate on such matters. If the
petitioner still felt that the particulars furnished by the respective States would
not satisfy the criteria, the Bench said: It is open to them to approach the
authorities.

Characteristics of classical literature which qualify a language for classical

status

In 2004, the Government of India declared that languages that met certain
requirements could be accorded the status of a Classical Language in India.
Languages so far declared to be Classical are Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu,
Malayalam, and Odia.

First, the language has high antiquity, of about 1500 to 2000 years, for its
literature.
Second, it has a body of ancient literature meeting the core attributes of
classicism and is held as a valuable heritage bequeathed to humanity.
Third, the literary tradition is original and not borrowed from another
speech community.
Fourth, the classical language and literature being distinct from modern,
there may also be discontinuity between the classical language and later
forms or offshoots.

PM Modi to launch Mission Bhagiratha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a massive 40,000-crore
Telangana state water grid Mission Bhagiratha, during his maiden visit to
Telangana. Mission Bhageeratha is the brain child of Telangana Chief Minister
K. Chandrashekar Rao to provide safe drinking water through a pipeline at
Komatibanda, Gajwel in Medak district.
With this, about 67 thousand households of the Gajwel Assembly
constituency will get safe drinking water through a pipeline.
 The Prime Minister will be dedicating 1200 MW Singareni Thermal power
plant to the nation besides laying a foundation stone for the NTPC 1600 MW
power plant and revival of Ramagundam Fertiliser Plant on the occasion.
The objective of the Mission Bhagiratha is to provide 100 liters of clean
drinking water per person in rural households and 150 liters per person in
urban households. This project aims to provide water to about 25,000 rural
habitations and 67 urban habitations. The Telangana Water Grid, however,
depends on water resources available from the rivers flowing through the
state Krishna and Godavari.
LS passes bill on higher compensation for employee's injury
The Employees Compensation (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was introduced in Lok
Sabha on August 5, 2016 by the Minister for Labour and Employment, Mr.
Bandaru Dattatreya. Lok Sabha passed a bill that provides for higher
compensation in case an employee is injured in industrial accident and has a
provision for hefty penalty in case any violation by the employers. The Bill was
passed by voice vote
The Bill amends the Employees Compensation Act, 1923. The Act provides
payment of compensation to employees and their dependants in the case of
injury by industrial accidents, including occupational diseases.
Key Features of the Bill-
Duty to inform employee of right to compensation: The Bill introduces a
provision which requires an employer to inform the employee of his right to
compensation under the Act. Such information must be given in writing (in
English, Hindi or the relevant official language) at the time of employing him.
Penalty for failure to inform: The Bill penalises an employer if he fails to
inform his employee of his right to compensation. Such penalty may be between
50,000 to one lakh rupees.
Appeals from the Commissioners order: The Act permits appeals against the
Commissioners orders related to compensation, distribution of compensation,
award of penalty or interest, etc. However, this is only if the amount in dispute
is at least 300 rupees. The Bill raises this amount to 10, 000 rupees. It permits
the central government to further raise this amount.
Withholding payments pending appeal: Under the Act, if an employer has
appealed against a Commissioners order, any payments towards the employee
can be temporarily withheld. The Commissioner may do so only by an order of
the High Court, until the matter is disposed of by the Court. The Bill deletes this
provision.

Smart Ganga City Scheme Launcehd in Ten Cities

Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti and Union Urban Development Minister Shri
M Venkaiah Naidu launched Smart Ganga City Scheme in ten important cities
through video conference.
These cities are Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mathura-Vrindavan, Varanasi,
Kanpur, Allahabad, Lucknow, Patna, Sahibgunj and Barrackpore.
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has chosen these cities in the first
phase for infrastructure development for sewage treatment. This will be on
hybrid annuity mode based on PPP model.
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is the implementation wing of
National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA).
It is a registered society originally formed by Ministry of Environment, Forests
and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on 12th August 2011 under the Societies
Registration Act, 1860.
As per the 306th amendment in the Government of India (Allocation of
Business) Rules, 1961, both NGRBA and NMCG are allocated to the Ministry
of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD
&GR).
The aims and objectives of NMCG is to accomplish the mandate of National
Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)-
1.To ensure effective abatement of pollution and rejuvenation of the river
Ganga by adopting a river basin approach to promote inter-sectoral co-
ordination for comprehensive planning and management and
2.To maintain minimum ecological flows in the river Ganga with the aim of
ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development.
Paid maternity leave increased to 6 months
The Union Cabinet has approved amendments to the Maternity Benefit Act of
1961 to increase paid leave for expectant mothers from three months to six and
a half months. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill of 2016 will now be
introduced in the Rajya Sabha.
Details:
The amendment bill seeks to increase maternity leave to 26 weeks in all
establishments, including private sector. The act is applicable to all
establishments employing 10 or more persons.
The bill also provides 12 weeks leave for commissioning and adopting
mothers and makes it mandatory to provide creche facility for establishment
where the number of workers is 50 and above. At present, the Maternity
Benefit Act does not provide any maternity leave for commissioning or
adopting mothers.
Significance of these amendments:
Maternal care to the Child during early childhood is crucial for growth and
development of the child. The amendments will help 18 lakh women workforce
in organised sector. They also help women devote time to take care of their
babies and enable an increase in the womens labour force participation
(WLFPR) rate in India. The labour force participation rate (LFPR) in India is
around 40%, but for females, it is only 22.5%. The gap in male-female labour
force participation is such that the LFPR for rural women above 15 years is only
35.8%, while forrural males it is more than double at 81.3%, according to a
2015 research paper by the government policy think tank NITI Aayog.
Background:
The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, protects the employment of women during the
time of maternity and entitles them of a full paid absence from work to take care
for the child.

Mahadayi tribunal term extended

The term of Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal has been extended by a year.
An extension of term is provided in the normal course if the tribunals work is
not completed within the stipulated period. Under proviso to Section 5 (2) of the
Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, the power is vested in the government
which appointed the tribunal to extend its tenure.

Water disputes tribunal set up under the Act is originally meant to complete its
assigned work in three years. If
the work is not completed, the
government can extend its tenure
by a year and further by a second
year.

All about the Dispute

When disputes arise between

states in India over the sharing of river water, the first priority of the central
government is to get the disputing parties to arrive at a negotiated
settlement. When all dialogue fails, disputes are referred to legal redressal
forums like tribunals.
The dispute over the sharing of the water of the Mahadayi or Mandovi river
between the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa is over 30 years old if
one were to consider the fact that attempts at negotiations were initiated by the
central government as far back as 1985.

The water sharing issue reached a flashpoint in 2002 when the Karnataka
decided to implement a long pending drinking water project by building a canal
across two tributaries of the Mahadayi Kalasa and Banduri.
The Kalasa-Banduri project aimed to divert 7.56 TMC of water from the
Mahadayi to the Malaprabha river in Karnataka to address the drinking water
needs in three parched north Karnataka districts of Belagavi, Dharwad and
Gadag.
Goa approached the centre in 2002 with a
request for a Mahadayi Water Dispute tribunal
to assess the available utilisable water
resources in the basin at various points and
allocation of this water to the three basin states
keeping in view priority of the use of water.
The Parrikar government argued that the Kalasa
Banduri project would cause immense
ecological damage in Goa since the river
supports the fragile eco system in parts of the
Western Ghats located in the territory of Goa.
The final clearance for the Kalasa Banduri project was put on hold by the NDA
government following the objections from Goa.
Since the constitution of the tribunal, Karnataka has sought interim orders to
continue with the construction of the Kalasa Banduri project to utilize 7.56
TMC of water for drinking purposes.
With the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal in an interim order on July 27
rejecting Karnatakas demand for 7.56 TMC of water, protests have once again
broken out in the state and a day long bandh was observed on July 30.

The Mahadayi tribunal has only issued interim orders and that these orders are
not likely to have a bearing on the final verdict on the sharing of the waters of
the Mahadayi since much of the technical issues are yet to be assessed in full by
the tribunal.

Lok Sabha passes bill to include Nagaland under CAU Imphal

The Lok Sabha passed a bill to include Nagaland under the jurisdiction of
Imphal Central Agriculture University (CAU) to help the north-eastern state
achieve higher growth in animal husbandry sector. The amendment will help
Nagaland to reap the benefit of the Imphal Central Agriculture University,
established for the entire north eastern region.
Key Features of the Bill:
The bill seeks to amend the Central Agricultural University Act, 1992,
that was enacted for the establishment and incorporation of a university
for the north-eastern region in order to promote development and research
in agriculture and allied sectors.
After the passage of the amendment bill, Nagaland would get all the
facilities that other north-eastern states get under this Act.
After inclusion of Nagaland under jurisdiction of the Central Agricultural
University, the College of Veterinary Sciences in Nagaland would
produce the much-needed professional manpower in the fields of animal
husbandry, which will facilitate socio-economic growth in the region.
 The new college would help familiarise the farmers with new techniques,
thereby contributing to the production and productivity of domestic
animals in the State of Nagaland.

CAG uncovers roads to nowhere

The performance audit report of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
(PMGSY), tabled in Parliament has highlighted several irregularities, ranging
from flouting of planning procedures, poor quality control, diversion of funds,
extension of undue benefits to contractors, showing road connectivity where
there is none, not providing roads to eligible habitations, and pathetic
maintenance of roads. The PMGSY, a Centrally- sponsored scheme to build
rural road connectivity, was launched in December 2000.

According to the report, 19 States, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and
Rajasthan, showed unconnected habitations as connected, while excluding
eligible habitations from road projects.

Report Highlights-

In 26 States, 4,496 works were delayed, with the delay period ranging from one
month to 10 years. The CAG found nine States, including U.P., Karnakata and
Gujarat, guilty of building roads to connect habitations that were already
connected, with 31 habitations getting multiple connectivity at a cost of Rs.
29.49 crore.

In the case of seven States, which again includes Bihar and Gujarat apart from
Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, 73 road works, executed at Rs. 120 crore, were
shown as completed though they did not provide complete connectivity to
targeted areas.
Five States, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Uttarakhand, diverted funds to
inadmissible items such as payment of salaries and purchase or construction
of buildings.

About PMGSY:

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) was launched on 25th

December 2000 as a fully funded Centrally Sponsored Scheme to provide all
weather road connectivity in rural areas of the country. The programme
envisages connecting all habitations with a population of 500 persons and above
in the plain areas and 250 persons and above in hill States, the tribal and the
desert areas.

According to the Rural Development Ministry, as of March 2015, out of 1.78

lakh eligible habitations, 1.09 lakh habitations had been provided with all-
weather road connectivity.

The objective was to give roads to villages:

With a inhabitants of 1000 persons & more by year 2003
Having populace of 500 & more by 2007
Mount states, ethnic & desert region villages having a population of 500
& more by the year 2003, &
Mount states, ethnic & desert region villages having population of 250 &
more by 2007.
Diamond Quadrilateral Network in Indian Railway
Six corridors on Diamond Quadrilateral connecting metropolitan cities and
growth centers of the country (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai & Kolkata) have been
identified for feasibility studies for high speed rail connectivity viz:
(i) Delhi-Mumbai
(ii) Mumbai-Chennai
 (iii) Chennai-Kolkata
(iv) Kolkata-Delhi and
both diagonals i.e.
(v) Delhi-Chennai and
(vi) Mumbai-Kolkata routes.
Feasibility studies for Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Kolkata and Mumbai-
Chennai have been awarded in September, 2015. Feasibility studies
for Delhi-Nagpur portion of Delhi-Chennai corridor and Mumbai-
Nagpur portion of Mumbai-Kolkata corridor are being undertaken
through Government to Government cooperation, with China and
Spain respectively.

Modi launches theme song '70 Saal Azadi, Yaad Karo Kurbani'
Yaad Karo Kurbani (remember the sacrifices) is the theme of the Narendra
Modi government's patriotism-flavoured celebration of the upcoming 70th
Independence Day on August 15, which will see ministers visiting historic sites
of the Indian freedom struggle and efforts to educate the country's youngsters
about its heroes. The celebration is expected to be launched by the prime
minister himself ahead of August 15 at a special event and may involve a
commemoration of the anniversary of the Quit India movement on August 8 as
well.

Tulu works to be digitised under Union govt. project

Almost 165 important Tulu works will be digitised and made available on-line
on a Union government portal soon. They will be uploaded under the
Bharatavani project, an initiative of the Union Ministry of Human Resource
Development.

The project is about making available knowledge in and knowledge about all
languages in the country in multimedia formats (text, audio, video and images)
through an online portal.

Tulu is a language spoken by around 2 million native speakers mainly in the

south west part of the Indian state of Karnataka and in the Kasaragod district of
Kerala. It belongs to the Dravidian family of languages.

Krishna Pushkaralu: Festival of River Krishna

Krishna Pushkaram is a 12-day festival that comes once in every 12 years, and
devotees take a holy dip in the river across Andhra Pradesh. The Pushkaram is
observed for a period of 12 days from the time of entry of Jupiter into Virgo
(Kanya rasi).

Having successfully completed the interlinking of rivers Godavari and Krishna

through the Pattisam Lift Irrigation Scheme, the state government now wants to
embark on the next step to link river Krishna with Penna.

Krishna is one of the 12 large perennial rivers in the country. It originates in

Mahabaleswar in Maharashtra and merges in the Bay of Bengal at
Hamsaladeevi in Krishna district after traversing Karnataka, Telangana and
Andhra Pradesh.
 Science and Technology

Telangana signs MoU with ISRO for water resources info system

Telangana Irrigation Department today signed a memorandum of understanding

with the Indian Space Research Organisation for setting up a Telangana Water
Resources Information System (TWRIS) on the Bhuvan web portal.

The objective is to capture every field-level irrigation network including

dams/barrages, anicuts, main and field channels, etc. and mark every irrigation
structure on satellite visualisation tool Bhuvan (similar to Google Earth).

Command area of each main canal, minor and field channel (pipe) with survey
numbers, among others, would be captured on Bhuvan.

China launches first mobile telecom satellite

China has successfully launched the first satellite for mobile

telecommunication.

The Tiantong-01 satellite was launched at southwestern China's Xichang

Satellite Launch Center, with the Long March-3B carrier rocket.

It is the first satellite of China's home-made satellite mobile telecom system,

and a key part of the country's space information infrastructure.

Tiantong-01 was designed by China Academy of Space Technology and its

ground service will be operated by China Telecom. It will establish a mobile
network with ground facilities, providing services for China, the Middle East,
Africa and other areas.
The Long March-3B carrier rocket was produced by China Academy of Launch
Vehicle Technology. It was the 232nd flight of the Long March series carrier
rockets, and the 36th launch of the Long March-3B.

Govt pledges 'foot & mouth disease' free India, extends scheme to
16 more states

Seeking to end Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) one of the most devastating
contagious viral animal diseases affecting all susceptible cloven-footed animals
-- from India, the agriculture ministry has conceived a 'FMD Mukta Bharat'
(FMD Free India) programme to cover all the states which have not yet been
covered under the six monthly vaccination schemes.

Sixteen states and one Union Territory (UT) are yet to be covered under
intensive FMD vaccination at six monthly intervals.
It has now been decided to take up FMD vaccination in these states and UT
under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) during 2016-17.

As per the estimates by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR),

direct loss due to milk and meat is to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore per annum due
to FMD.
It could be much more if the indirect losses due to reduced work capacity,
abortions, subsequent infertility and sterility (that account for the reduced milk
production subsequently) were taken into account.
Action taken by Government:

In order to prevent the economic losses arising due to Foot and Mouth Disease,
a location specific programme called 'Foot and Mouth Disease Control
Programme (FMD-CP)' is under implementation since 10th Plan Period.
Gradually, the FMD-CP was expanded during 11th & 12th Plan Period. As of
now, it covers 351 districts in 13 states and 6 UTs - Andhra Pradesh, Telangana,
Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh,
Karnataka, Goa, Rajasthan, Bihar, Puducherry, Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar,
Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep.
Total cases of FMD outbreaks in India have been reduced from 879 in 2012 to
109 in 2015.

About Foot-and-mouth disease

Foot-and-mouth disease is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that
affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids. The virus
causes a high fever for two or three days, followed by blisters inside the mouth
and on the feet that may rupture and cause lameness.
Spread
The foot-and-mouth diseases virus can be transmitted in a number of ways,
including close contact among animals, long distance aerosol spread, or through
inanimate objects such as fodder and the clothes or skin of handlers.

Can Humans be affected?

Humans can be infected with foot-and-mouth disease through contact with
infected animals, but this is extremely rare. Some cases were caused by
laboratory accidents. Because the virus that causes FMD is sensitive to stomach
acid, it cannot spread to humans via consumption of infected meat, except in the
mouth before the meat is swallowed. Symptoms of FMD in humans include
malaise, fever, vomiting, red ulcerative lesions (surface-eroding damaged spots)
of the oral tissues, and sometimes vesicular lesions (small blisters) of the skin.
Emissions from ships can impact monsoon activity over Bay of
Bengal
Using surface and satellite data, a team led by scientist have found that aerosol
plumes from ships produced severe pollution along the international shipping
route in the Bay of Bengal.

Details

According to research emissions from ships along the corridor (5-6 degrees
North latitude) has directly heated the lower troposphere by two-and-half times
compared to surrounding areas and also created a temperature gradient of
around 0.1K/day on either side of the shipping route. The troposphere is the
lowest region of the atmosphere.

Satellite measurement confirmed the presence of high levels of nitrogen dioxide

(NO2) along the shipping corridor, which is 100 km wide. The measurements
were made during 2011-2012.

Compared with the surrounding regions, the concentration of NO2was five times
higher along the shipping corridor.

The NO2 concentration along the shipping route over Bay of Bengal has been
increasing at a steady rate. There is a five to six per cent increase in shipping
trade along the corridor per year.

Since NO2 can absorb solar radiation, the increased levels of this gas along the
shipping route led to more heating of the atmosphere. In addition to gaseous
emissions, ship exhaust also contains particulate matter such as black carbon.
Along the shipping route, the black carbon concentration was elevated by a
factor of four compared to surrounding regions; the lower troposphere solar
heating rate was elevated by 0.1 degree C in cloud-free conditions.

The heating of the lower troposphere can have huge implications in terms of
temperature profile and cloud formation, to name a few factors.

The emissions also led to increased concentration of cloud condensation nuclei

(CCN). The CCN (at 0.4 per cent supersaturation) concentration is one order of
magnitude (about 10 times) greater in the shipping corridor than the pristine
regions of Bay of Bengal.

Increased levels of CCN can disrupt organised convection in the monsoon

depressions, which means the more the concentration of nuclei in the
atmosphere the more the number of water droplets that can form.

The effects of CCN seen along the corridor may have significant impact on the
monsoon activity over southern Bay of Bengal and implications for climate
change mitigation strategies.

China launches hi-resolution synthetic aperture radar

imaging satellite
China launched a new high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging
satellite.
The Gaofen-3 satellite was launched off on the back of a Long March 4C
rocket. It was the 233rd flight mission by a Long March carrier rocket.
As Chinas first SAR imaging satellite
that is accurate to one meter in distance,
it covers the globe with an all-weather,
24-hour observation service and will be
used for disaster warning, weather
forecasting, water resource assessments
and the protection of maritime rights.
With 12 imaging modes, the high-definition observation satellite is capable of
taking wide pictures of earth and photographing detailed scenarios of specific
areas.
Gaofen-3 is also Chinas first low orbit remote sensing satellite that has a
lifespan of eight years. It is able to provide high-definition remote sensing data
for its users over long periods of time. Since the inception of the Gaofen project
in 2013, China has had an increasingly clear view of the planet.
Launched in April 2013, Gaofen-1 can cover the globe in just four
days. Gaofen-2, sent into space in August 2014, is accurate to 0.8 meters in full
color and can collect multispectral images of objects 3.2 meters or longer in
length.
Gaofen-4, launched in late 2015, is Chinas first geosynchronous orbit high-
definition optical imaging satellite and the worlds most sophisticated.

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant

Prime Minster Narendra Modi and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin
handed over the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPPs) first unit to the
country. This is another example of the cooperation between India and Russia
on the nuclear front. The first Unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant was
built with the expertise of the Russians after a pact between the then Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in November
1988. But the construction only took place in 1997 due to the political and
economic instability of Russia due to the Soviet Union Collapse of 1991.
The first unit was synchronized with southern power grid on October 22, 2013,
and power generation started on December 31, 2014, generating a 1000 Mw.
Indias regulator is speculated to authorise the start of the second power unit at
KNPP. Two 1000 Mw Russian reactors are being set up by the Nuclear
Corporation of India (NPICL) at the KudanKulam village in the Tirunelveli
district of Tamil Nadu.

NPCIL and Atomstroy export, a subsidiary of the Rosatom is building the

power plants at KudanKulam. Rosatom is the regulatory body of the Russian
nuclear complex.
The construction of the first two units has previously been stopped due to strong
protests from villagers around the plant. The issue was later resolved after court
cases and diplomacy between the state government and the centre.
The capacity of KKNPP Unit- II would be a 1000 Mw on full power. The
electricity generated by all central sector generating systems is allotted to
beneficiary states and union territories.
For more information refer to: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-
news-india/five-facts-about-kudankulam-nuclear-power-plant-2965767/

Should the Indian Standard Time (IST) be advanced to 6 hours?

Should the Indian Standard Time (IST) be advanced? Stating that such a change
is the need of the hour because advancing the IST by half an hour will save
energy by upto three billion units every year.

The time zone for India is based on 82.5 E longitude, passing through
Mirzapur, U.P. This makes us five hours and 30 minutes ahead of the
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), based on the prime meridian.

This is defined as the Indian Standard Time (IST), and has been our official
time since independence in 1947.

Changing the IST to six hours ahead of UTC, instead of the present five-and-a-
half hours would shift the longitude on which IST is based from 82.5 E to 90
E longitude at Bengal-Assam border.

Though the savings may appear insignificant considering the total energy
consumption of the country, the energy demand in the evenings due to domestic
lighting will be reduced by about 16 per cent.
 From West to East, India spans from 68 7' E to 97 25' E of the 0 longitude or
the prime meridian.

A spread of more than 29 implies almost two hours time difference in sunrises
and sunsets between east and west part of the country. However, it is essential
for a country to follow a standardised time so that offices, transport systems and
communication systems can function smoothly.

The current IST (UTC+5:30hrs) means that people in northeastern states have to
work late into the dark, even though sun rises and sets early in their region.

What is Longitude?
Longitude is nothing but the angular
distance that gives us the idea about the
east west position of a place on Earth.
Longitudes can be defined as the vertical
lines that join the North Pole & the South
Pole.
Unit of its measurement is in degrees &
minutes.
Any data on longitude gives us the idea about the distance of that place in
reference to the Greenwich Meridian. Greenwich Meridian is considered as the
central Longitude (0/Zero Degree) & it passes through Greenwich, London.
Some basic concepts
One must first understand that time (on clock) is not same everywhere on earth.
For e.g. it may be morning for India & it may be night for America for a given
point of time.
 Why Does this happen? This happen because of the Sun. Earth moves from
west to east. Because of that not all the parts of Earth receives sunlight. Hence,
we can see that Sun rises in the East & sets in the West.
Half part of the earth remains in dark & the other half in light for a given point
of time.
What is a Time Zone?
Earth has been divided into different time zones.
A time zone represents a geographic area. All the clocks in a given time zone
have the same time being shown. That same time is often called as
STANDARD TIME.
Why do we have time zones?
Many places around the world set their time according to the time of sun rise &
sun set.
But at different places, sun rises & sets at different time. Hence, it was
necessary to have common time at least for some part.
So, we created time zone for different regions.
How many Time Zones are there on Earth?
In total, earth has 24 time zones. (Note: That means, each time zone is 15
degrees of longitude wide. Total longitudes make an angle of 360 degree. So
360/15 = 24 time zones)

What are the times in different time zones?

Each time zone is having a time which is either find out by addition or
subtraction of the standard time by an integer value. (Note: Integer value means
number from 1 to 12).
This addition or subtraction of amount of time from the UTC (the time at
Greenwich) is called as TIME OFFSET.
If time is added to the UTC it is called a positive offset & if time is subtracted
from the UTC it is called as negative offset.
 Example 1: Suppose a time zone is represented as UTC+2. It means that this
time zone is ahead of Greenwich by 2 hours i.e. if it is 5 PM at the Greenwich,
it would be 7 PM in this time zone.
Example 2: Suppose a time zone is represented as UTC-2. It means that this
time zone is lagging of Greenwich by 2 hours i.e. if it is 5 PM at the Greenwich,
it would be 3 PM in this time zone.
What is the Standard Time of India?
Indias standard time is denoted by UTC+5.30.

But there are also time zones like UTC+5.30. Why not use UTC+5 instead?
Why to use such a confusing term?
Such time offset values which are having a fractional part with them are
called as non-standard time zones.
But due to the massive width of our country, India actually lies in two time
zones. Hence, for convenience, we have adopted the standard time as
UTC+5.30.
Each country has the right to decide its own time zone. Generally it is decided
as per the convenience and desires of local population.
Does a country have more than one Time zone? Why?
Yes. Many countries like USA & Russia have more than one time zone.
It is done because these countries are so much big in terms of the width that
having one common time zone will not work for them.
They need more than one time zone for the administrative matters.
But countries like India only have one common time zone.
What is the position of India in terms of the time zone?
It is very clear from the above figure of Time Zones, that India clearly is present
in two time zones.
India is present in time zone UTC+5 & UTC+6.
But India has adopted UTC+5.30.
MoU for joint development of Deep Brain Stimulator
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical
Sciences & Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram have agreed to join
hands to develop Deep Brain Stimulator (DBS).
How it works?
DBS involves implanting electrodes within certain areas of brain and the
regular electrical pulses generated by a pacemaker-like device placed
under the skin in upper chest regulates the abnormal impulses of the
brain.
DBS is used in typical neurological conditions of Essential tremor,
Parkinson's disease and Dystonia.
The DBS consists of implanted pulse generator, electrodes and extension
cables which interface with external Programmer module and wireless
battery charger.

These devices are currently being imported, limiting its wider usage due to
the high cost. The planned joint development is targeted to provide an
affordable alternative.

Greenland shark named longest-living vertebrate

Greenland Sharks, which live an average of atleast 272 years, ranked as
longest lived vertebrates on earth, according to a study. They may live
beyond 400 years. But these Sharks do not achieve sexual maturity until 150
or so. These natives of North Atlantic Oceans can grow to be 21 feet long
and 2,000 pounds. They are blind due to many parasites crowding their eyes,
but these sharks are said to have an impeccable sense of smell, which they
may ample use of when they hunt. To determine the age of Greenland
 sharks, researchers examined the eye lens nuclei of 28 females, caught
during scientific surveys.
Rhino horn verification process in Assam
The verification of rhino horns to check their genuineness and updating of the
complete inventory of horns kept in various treasuries in the custody of Assam
government since 1980, has begun in Assam. The first treasury to be opened
will be Golaghat with the highest number of rhino horns in government custody
with most from Kaziranga National Park. The rhino horns are scattered in 12
treasuries of Assam, the maximum being in Golaghat followed by Nagaon,
Guwahati and Tezpur.
Russia deploys advanced S-400 air defence missile system to
Crimea
Russia has deployed its most advanced surface-to-air missiles to Crimea as
tensions rise in the region.

The S-400 'Triumph' air defense system has been sent to the peninsula,
following a pledge to deploy it to the region last month. S-400 'Triumph' air
defence system has been sent to the peninsula, Kremlin said two Russians were
killed in Crimea but the claims was rejected by Ukrainian President Petro
Poroshenko.

The air defence system can track some 300 targets and shoot down around three
dozen simultaneously over a range of more than 150 miles. The deployment of
the S-400 to Crimea comes as NATO rolls out the biggest military build-up in
eastern Europe since the end of the Cold War.